Window-screen construction.



. HAMILTON.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

WINDOW SCREEN CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN, 22, 1905. 1 ,020,601

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH Cu..w/\snmmo-. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

RALPH E. HAMILTON, 0F MIDDLEBURY TOWNSHIP, SHIAWASSEE GOUN TY, MICHIGAN.

WINDOW-SCREEN CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Application filed January 22, 1906. Serial No. 297,097.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RALPH E. HAMILTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Middlebury township, in the county of Shi awassee, State of Michigan, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in VVindow-Screen Construction; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to window screen construction, and consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide means for supplying screens to windows, wherein the arrangement is such as to enable the screen to be placed in operative position, and removed from the window, entirely from within the building, obviating the necessity of going outside to place the screens in position or remove them.

A further arrangement provides for forming a guide-way in which the screen is confined, and building a screen sufiiciently narrow to pass the window stops so that it may be introduced into said guide-way from the inside; the outer margin of said guide-way projecting beyond the stops to prevent the screen falling outwardly, and the screen being so formed as to permit it to be introduced into said way from within.

A further arrangement provides for using the screen either above or below, and for confining the bottom of the screen when occupying the lower portion of the window frame.

A further arrangement provides for screening the entire window by introducing two screens, if desired.

The above objects are attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a window frame and easing, showing a window screened by two screen frames occupying the upper and lower portions of the window frame respectively. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through a window frame and sash, showing my screen occupying the lower portion of the window frame, and illustrating by dotted lines, the manner of introducing the screen frame into place and removing it from the window. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in horizontal section through one side of the frame and easing, showing the manner of building out the ordinary blind stops and in providing a guide for the screen frame. Fig. 4 is a similar section, showing the manner in which provision is made for confining the screen frame in place and permitting its introduction from the inside in new work where the frame and casing is constructed for my improved screen. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section through the upper portion of the frame and easing, showing the guideway which receives the upper end of the screen frame when raised. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the catch employed to hold the screen frame in the raised position. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail in horizontal section through the lower portion of the case and frame, showing the stop plate for retaining the bottom of the screen frame in position. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the upper end of the screen frame, showing how a portion of the upper ends of the stiles of the screen frame are cut away to permit of the introduction of the screen frame into the guide-way from inside the window.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the window frame provided with the usual inner sash stops 2 and the dividing stops 3, which together with the blind stops 4, maintain the window sash in place, as is common.

In order to enable the screen frame 5 to be placed into the window and removed therefrom from the inside, it is necessary that said frame be made sufliciently narrow to pass between the opposed stops of the window frame. In so reducing the screen in width, it becomes narrower than the space between the blind stops 4. In order to build out the blind stops so as to cause them to serve as a guide-way for the screen frame, suitable filling strips 6. are placed against the vertical inner edges of the blind stops so as to cause them to extend inwardly such distance as to embrace the opposite edges of the screen frame. To confine the screen frame in the guide-way formed by said inwardly extending strips, confining strips 7 are caused to project inwardly from oppo site sides so as to engage the outer faces of the stiles of the screen frame. If desired, said confining strips 7 may be formed integral with the filling strips 6, as shown in Fig. 3. The strips 7 prevent the screen frame passing outwardly through the window opening and confine said frame in the guide-way between the filling strips 6.

It is designed that the guide-way formed by the strips 6 and 7 shall extend the whole length of the window so that when the screen is introduced into said way, it may slide vertically the entire length thereof. Should it be desired to use the screen at the top of the window, the lower sash is raised and the screen frame is introduced into said guide-Way and raised to occupy the upper portion of the window frame, in which posi tion it is held by the gravity detent or catch, consisting of a horizontal portion, which is journaled in a bearing sleeve 8 (see Fig. 6) that is set into the side of the casing, said horizontal port-ion of the catch being adapted to rotate in said sleeve and said sleeve being attached to a plate 9 which is secured to the casing, the parts being so positioned that the catch 10 will project int-o the guide-way of the screen and engage in a recess 11 (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1) in the edge of the screen frame, the depending arm 12 swinging downward by gravity and causing the horizontal portion of the catch to rotate and carry the end 10 into said recess. The pin 13 upon the plate 9 arrests the arm 12 so as to hold the screen frame elevated. By swinging the arm 12 inwardly the end portion of the catch may be carried from the recess of the spring frame, permitting said frame to slide downwardly.

In order to permit of the entrance of the screen into the guide-way from the inside, it is necessary that the upper outer corners of the screen frame be cut away, as shown at 14 and 15 in Fig. 8, so as to permit the upper end of the screen frame to pass outwardly beyond the line of the guide-way 16, in order to permit said upper end to pass the lower rail 17 of the upper window sash as the screen is being introduced into said way, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. If the screen frame were not cut away, as shown, it could not be introduced into the guide-way from the inside because of the fact that it would bind between the confining strips 7 and the sash rail 17.

"Where the window frame and casing is prepared originally to receive the screen, the filling pieces Gare dispensed with and the blind stops 4 are extended inwardly the proper distance so as to project beyond the window stops and form the guide-way for the screen frame, as shown in Fig. 1. In this construction, the confining strips 7 are also dispensed with and the casing 18 is extended inwardly on each side so as to lap onto the face of the screen frame, as shown at 19 in Fig. 4.

To prevent the lower end of the screen frame swinging inwardly when in position, and to secure said frame more perfectly in place, stop plates 20 are employed at the bottom of the window frame just above the sill 21, which are secured to the blind stop or to the filling strips and which project inwardly beyond said strips and engage the inner face of the screen frame on opposite sides near the bottom thereof, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 7. In placing the screen frame in position, it is necessary to raise it over said stop plates, when it will drop vertically into position behind them.

WVhere two screen frames are used to screen the entire window, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower screen is made slightly shorter than the upper screen and the filling strip 22 is employed at the bottom resting on the window sill to compensate for the difference in the length of the screen frame. Were the screens of the same length, it would be impossible to shove them upwardly such distance as to enable the lower frame to swing over the stop plates 20 which project slightly above the filling strip 22. By shortening the lower frame and employing the filling strip 22 and providing at the top of the window frame a recess 23 (see Fig. 5) into which the upper end of the upper frame may pass, it is possible to raise both frames sufiiciently to allow the lower end of the lower frame to clear the stop plates 20, when said frames will drop into position, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper frame, during said operation, being held in place by the catch previously described.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a window-screen construction, the combination of the casing having the usual sash stops, of guiding strips on opposite sides of the casing exterior to the window sash extending inwardly beyond the plane of the sash stops, a screen frame adapted to 11 be entered from the inside and to lie between said strips, confining pieces exterior to the guiding strips extending inwardly beyond the face of said strips to engage the outer face of the screen frame, the stiles of the screen frame at their upper ends being beveled to permit of the placing of the frame in position from the inside, and means for retaining the bottom of the screen frame when in position.

2. In a window screen construction, the combination with the Window casing having fixed blind stops, of vertical guide strips on opposite sides of the-casing, mounted on said blind stops, said strips having bearing faces which lie inside of the plane of the sash opening between said frame and said guide 10 stops of the casing and having inwardly strips.

" projecting confining flanges exterior to their In testimony whereof, I sign this specifibearing faces only, a screen frame fitted becation in the presence of two Witnesses. tween the bearing faces of the guide strips to slide vertically, the outer face of the RALPH E. HAMILTON. screen frame being engaged by said in- WVitnesses:

wardly projecting confining flanges, to re- E. S. WHEELER,

tain the screen frame in place and close the I. G. HoWLET'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

